Raleigh political consultant Mark Stephens is stepping down from his role at the Republican National Committee's chief fundraiser.

Stephens was on RNC chairman Michael Steele's transition team and then headed fund raising from February through May. Steele announced this morning that Rob Bickhart would being as the party's finance chair, Rob Christensen reports.

"I want to thank Mark for coming to Washington and working hard to help put the RNC on a strong financial foundation — raising $23 million during the transition," Steele said in a statement. "He also led our search team to find the RNC a first-class finance director."

Stephens, who learned his politics as part of the late Sen. Jesse Helms' political organization, has been involved in GOP politics for decades.

He played major roles in former Sen. Elizabeth Dole's campaigns and Dole brought him in to serve as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2006 election cycle.

* A proposed ban on sending text messages while driving, already watered down from the original proposal, is struggling in the legislature.

* The Arc of North Carolina says Gov. Beverly Perdue's budget "could have been worse" for the mental health and developmental disability community.

* Democratic Rep. Larry Womble of Winston-Salem wants companies that do business with the state to disclose their historical ties to slavery.

* Republican National Committee member Ada Fisher thinks chairman Michael Steele should step down, but she's not happy her e-mail was leaked.

* Former state Sen. Fred Smith, who once pondered a run for the job himself, has endorsed Woody White for chair of the N.C. Republican Party.

* Republican National Committee member Ada Fisher of North Carolina calls for Michael Steele to step down, criticizes his language.

* Former Cumberland County Schools Superintendent Bill Harrison sworn in to new seat, elected chairman of the State Board of Education. 

* Greensboro News-Record columnist Doug Clark says Gov. Beverly Perdue has a "special obligation" to see that lottery money doesn't go into the general fund. 

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says it is not playing the age card.

In an e-mail to Dome, spokesman Matthew Miller said that a new TV ad featuring two old men in rocking chairs talking about whether U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole is "93" or "92" is not intended to remind voters of the Republican senator's age.

"It's not that Elizabeth Dole is too old, it's that after 40 years in Washington she's too ineffective," he writes. "Dole should remember her own words from two years ago, when she said that voters should elect a candidate with 'fresh leadership' over one who'd been in government for 40 years."

Miller was referring to Dole's Nov. 5, 2006, appearance on "Meet the Press," when she argued that Maryland voters should support Lt. Gov. Michael Steele over the Democrat, a longtime Congressman.

"You look in Maryland and you’ve got a fresh leadership here in Michael Steele in terms of wanting to really shake up Washington," she said, according to an official transcript. "And his opponent, Ben Cardin, has been in government for 40 years."

Correction: An earlier version of the post misstated the Maryland opponent's position. 

Pat McCrory will address the Take Back Our State Rally.

The Republican gubernatorial nominee will speak at the event Wednesday in front of the legislature, along with former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former Sen. Bob Dole.

According to Americans for Prosperity, a statewide anti-tax group putting together the event, McCrory has signed a pledge to support spending restraint and the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, which would limit the growth of revenue and spending to the sum of inflation plus population growth.

"Americans for Prosperity is committed to placing common sense limits on the growth of government that reflect the budget limits American families must live by everyday," said state director Dallas Woodhouse. "A second tax revolt is sweeping the country and we are encouraged to see that gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory is joining the fight by pledging to support spending limits."

McCrory is scheduled to speak after 6 pm. on the Halifax Mall.